This poster contains a statement calling for the residents of pre-State Israel, Jews and Arabs, to stop fighting and to join together to encourage peace and coexistence between Jews and Arabs. It was printed by an organization called Ichud, meaning union, in April of 1948, which was the height of the War of Independence, about a month before the declaration of the State of Israel.
In the illustration in the centre of the poster stand two men, a Jewish and an Arab farmer. They are talking and holding hands. Both hold shears, hinting at the verse from the Book of Isaiah “and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore” (Isaiah 2:4). Weapons lay scattered at the men’s feet, and the burning homes behind them depict the outcome of war.
The headline of the poster is “Cease Fire!” At the side of the illustration is a text explaining the poster’s purpose and the Ichud organisation’s viewpoint. This poster is written in Hebrew but states that it has been printed and distributed in both Hebrew and Arabic. The poster states that despite the fact that many oppose their beliefs, many silently agree that the bloodshed must be stopped and efforts made to strengthen the coexistence between Jews and Arabs. At the beginning of the text it is written that the advertisement was published “despite opposition from certain circles.” This opposition was for various reasons. Among Jews, some believed that the Land of Israel rightfully belonged only to the Jewish people, while others believed that the Arabs had a right to land but coexistence was not possible. On the Arab side, many did not accept the Jews’ right to the land.
Tension between Jews and Arabs had been growing since the Balfour Declaration in 1917. Between 1936 and 1939, Arab communities in Mandate Palestine rebelled against the British and against the influx of Jewish immigrants. By 1948, these growing tensions were reaching a boiling point which propelled the War of Independence leading to Israel’s creation.
It is no coincidence that this poster was published on April 20, 1948, the day on which the Haganah secured control of the Jerusalem Road after a bloody battle and much warfare. The promise by Ichud not to give up on coexistence in the Land of Israel was meant to be communicated even during the hardest of times.
Ichud was deeply committed to peace between Jews and Arabs. They advocated for a binational state. The poster states that both Jews and Arabs truly wished to stop the bloodshed but could not due to fear. Many famous and influential people supported Ichud and its goals, among them Judah Leon Magnes, Martin Buber, Hugo Bergmann, Gershom Scholem, and Henrietta Szold. The poster proclaims: “We will not be silent, we will continue our work for peace in spite of everything!”
